Masters of Man and Beast

[Maxx]

The Sith transport shook as it descend through the Genosian atmosphere. The ship broke through the cloud cover, bringing into view the destination of the ship's passengers. Below them were the sandy dunes and cracked ground that covered most of Geonoisis, as well as the Ebon Sea. The Ebon Sea was one of the few places on the planet where a large source of water could be found. It was also where wild Acklay could be found on the planet. Vicious creatures that stood taller than all men, and hunted in packs.

Inside the shaking ship, Hades had two arms crossed against his chest, another firm against the wall to keep him steady, and another curled in a fist as he shook it, yelling at the pilot. "Where in the galaxy did you learn to Woyunoks! I've seen nerf that could fly this tin can better than you!" The pilot said nothing back, most likely because he knew better to anger the four-armed behemoth. He brought his fist down and looked at the two other Sith who were with him. Neither them nor Hades had made much talk during flight from Korriban to Genonosis. Hades scratched his chin with his giant fingers. It would be interesting to see how this hunt went.
@Darth Magnarus @Crim

 

[Sarok Magnarus]

Sarok beamed as he felt the power rage through him and wanted his fellow sith to know how much he would enjoy this. He gracefully pulled out his lightsaber admiring it as he was quite confident that they would defeat this beast. Sarok leaned over to his sith allies and asked "What's our plan"

 

[Crim]

The anger from Hades had been a well of energy in the transport. When he yelled at the pilot, however, the fear emanating from the pilot was almost palpable. Ebiara smiled, half in amusement and half in pleasure as she began to concentrate on the fear from the pilot. "I'm eager to see how the fool lands this thing," she said. The transport shook once more as it dipped through an air bubble. "I think we may need to replace some landing struts when we return to Sith space... if not the pilot himself," she continued. She could feel the pilot's heart sink. If toying with the pilot was this easy, the ride home would be even more fun.

Then, the Zabrak spoke. He'd been seething on raw anger, cradling his lightsaber. He was way too cocky for his own good. "The acklay is a beast and we have lightsabers. Against a single acklay, there is almost no sport. Against multiple... should be interesting. I will do what I can to dominate an individual acklay for long enough for you two to move in for the kill. After that, dispatching the other will be simple," she said.

 

[Sarok Magnarus]

Sarok had been listening to the sith going on about her dominating a acklay long enough for him and the others to move in for the kill. He retorted "Why should we listen to you?" Sarok went back to admiring his lightsaber. A silence came across the ship as he waited for the response.

 

[Sammothy]

The co-pilot was a simple droid hired by the sith. He was unpleased by the comment made by Hades but knew much better than not anger him. He was amazed by the view, even though the ship was rocking about he could see a lovely desert like place. Yet he didn't know much about that place. ELEG-4Ntt couldn't help but overhearing the Sith's plan. He only heard small parts of it though. He heard kill and listen. The droid assumed it was a bounty hunt, but for Sith. He was busy thinking about Sith and bounty hunters when he remembered he was helping pilot a ship, full of Sith. The main pilot was messing around with buttons and wasn't concentrating either. He had to make a quick sudden turn and that made the whole ship tip to one side. If a small amount of rocking annoyed the 'boss', a mixup like that would be devastating. He pressed a button which turned on the speaker and nervously bleeped out. "S-Sorry fo-r the t-turbulenc-ce." He repositioned himself on the chair and prepared for one hella angry Sith.

 

[Maxx]

Hades nodded as the female Sith spoke. The behemoth wasn't worried about the Acklay, he had faced more ferocious creatures before and was more than willing to let someone else have their hand at killing the beast. The plan made since, but in his experience, plans rarely lasted very long. The Zabrak spoke out against the plan, asking why they should listen to the female. "You should listen because you asked the question," he snapped back, "unless you have another plan that is better than her's, I suggest you watch your mouth."

It was at that moment that the ship took a sudden dip. The only thing preventing Hades from flying through the air and smashing the Sith opposite him was that he reacted fast enough to root himself in place with the Force. By the time the ship had straightened, Hades was standing at the door leading into the cockpit of the transport. Without using the control panel, he grabbed at a crack in the door and forced it open with two of his arms. As the gap widened, another arm reached inside and grabbed the pilot by the neck from behind, lifting him out of the seat. The pilot clawed against the fingers wrapped around his throat. A droid sat in the co-pilot's seat, watching the scene. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't squeeze the life out of you." Unable to speak, the pilot used his eyes to motion to the fast approaching ground. Hades let go of the man's throat, dropping him back into the seat. The pilot gasped for breathe, but had one hand on the control stick and pulled back, leveling off the transport.

The transport's landing struts extended as the ship touched down on the cracked earth. The landing ramp descended and Hades was the first off the ship and walking on the surface of the desolate planet. Winds whipped at him and off in the distant he could see a brown haze on the horizon. A sandstorm. "Let's find ourselves an Acklay and get out fast, we don't have much time before that storm hits!"

 

[Jabonicus]

The Geonosian Acklay was quite different from its counterpart on more hospitable planets such as Felucia, where the creature had originated, and similar places. It's body was composed in the same way as its counterpart, but the way it looked differed in a very noticeable way. It's skin lacked the green tone that the species was well known for, instead it was covered in the dirty reddish color of the planet. It's body plates were rockier, nowhere near as smooth as its cousins on other planets. Overall, it had adapted quite well to the hostile planet.

But at the same time, resources were hard to come by. Geonosis wasn't exactly full of prey and plant life that a hungry Acklay could feast on. What food it could get was often some unlucky Geonosian or, more commonly, some form of fish like creature from the ocean. And as such, the Acklay population was small, consisting of a few small groups that roamed the red planet in traceable paths. The last thing they needed were a bunch of brutes coming in, and cutting them down.

That's where Vera Rosh came in. Vera was a well known, well accomplished huntress from Shili, the best in her tribe. In the past she had taken bonds with large, menacing creatures such as Acklay's on Felucia, and Varactyl's on Utapau. So she felt a special obligation to stand up for them when they were being threatened. Even though she was a huntress, someone trained specifically to end the lives of such creatures, she understood the balance that such creatures created, and the value of their lives, and what they meant for the local environment.

Vera stood among the pack of large, red-skinned beasts. They glanced at her curiously, her mind having spent days intertwining with them, connecting with them, and for all uses of the word, befriending them. It was a skill she had a unique proficiency in, and one she would be damned if she didn't use. A storm was coming soon, and she had taken refuge from the last few in the same cave systems that the Acklay had used. The Sith, on the other hand, had no such experience.

She watched as their vessel recklessly jolted in directions, heading towards the ground. She frowned, even she was a better pilot than that, and she was a horrible pilot. Between the herd and the ship stood a series of jutting boulders, that would prove difficult to climb for anyone. For the moment, Vera and the creatures held the high ground. She had no clue what she was up against, so she would have to be tactical. Putting her fingers to her parched lips, she whistled, catching the attention of the Acklay herd, as she climbed onto the back of the Alpha Male. The pack, surprisingly quiet for its size, stormed towards the mountain of boulders and crags. She would not stand idly by while creatures were slaughtered so thoughtlessly.

 

[Crim]

Rolling her eyes, Ebiara smirked and said, "You're welcome to ignore me. Only means we get your share when you die. Whether you live or die means nothing to me." She silently hoped the Zabrak was competent enough to do the mission. A weak link in the chain only endangered the rest of the party.

She'd skimmed over the files of both her squadmates before. Enough to know their names and what to expect when the fighting began. The four-armed one - Hades- began to strangle the co-pilot. Ebiara smirked as she watched the scene. Personally, she had no distaste for turbulence. It was nothing but a reality of mid-atmospheric flight. That said, she found Hades' reaction amusing; whether it was the cruel sadism her experience as a Sith had taught her or the fact that the atypical reaction was unexpected remained to be seen, but she liked Hades.

As the ship landed and shuddered one last time, the rumbling of a distant storm echoed in the air. Her cape fluttered in the wind as she left the transport. She took a deep breath, taking in the pre-storm sea air. This would be a nice area if it wasn't about to be pelted by a sandstorm. Lightning flashed in the brown horizon, making the approaching tempest that much more ominous. As she breathed, she heard a shrill whistle atop a nearby mesa. "Anyone hear that?"

 

[Oreus]

From Ilum to Geonosis was not exactly the improvement Kwanli had hoped for when he was set on an assignment. Normally the Jedi were allowed to wander alone and have little worry of enemies, but recent events had proven trouble was everywhere for the Jedi Knights. One of his fellow knights, Vera Rosh, was studying some migrant species on a world fairly close to Lothal in the rim. As had become new protocol she needed at least one partner. The Wookiee did find peace in the idea of studying rather than fighting, guarding, or sitting in a temple somewhere. Two hundred years as a Jedi taught one to appreciate the peaceful missions when they came. Especially during a time of conflict.

What is going on out there?

A sandstorm had raged, but it was more than that. The Wookiee could feel a disturbance in the force just as easily as the wind beating against his fur. Could there possibly be an enemy way out here? What were they getting at? An ancient Jedi would remember the Sith of old and it didn't make him happy to feel similar presences nearby again. For the first time in decades he was on call for battle.

Kwanli sat at their most recent makeshift camp in a small cave near where Vera had just been. The three Jedi had been camping there for a good while by this point. Another Jedi was there with Kwanli as Vera was outside doing what she did best. In an amusing twist of fate, a Trandoshan Jedi had been assigned to the task alongside him. Such rivalries and hatred did not usually carry over to the Jedi, but it was still recognizable to both as an obvious bad pairing at first glance. The three of them were likely the oddest trio out on mission for the Jedi. Someone in command had to have a sense of humor.

"What is going on?" Kwanli roared in what an expert could identify as a curious tone.

@Arclight

 

[Arcangel]

Geonosis was a favorable change compared to the miserable cold of Ilum. The rocky red planet's dry heat suited Karshk'Ashkar well, and he sat just outside the entrance to the cave in which the Jedi's makeshift camp resided, basking in the warmth of the sun. Not too far from the cave, Karshk could make out the form of Vera Rosh, the Togrutan Jedi whom he and Kwanli had accompanied to Geonosis. She stood among a herd of Geonosian Acklay, normally vicious beasts, that Vera had somehow managed to pacify to her presence. The beasts were considered excellent prey by most Trandoshans, and while Karshk did not hunt for sport, there was a small bit of him that made his blood sing at the thought of tracking down one of the beasts and slaying it.

As he pondered the idea, his thoughts were interupted by Kwanli, a Wookiee Jedi of considerable experience, questioning him in Shyriiwook, the Wookiee's native tounge. An amusing turn of events it had been, to be assigned this mission alongside a Wookiee. Not that Karshk minded, he was raised among the Jedi most of his life, and could care little for the blood fued that existed between Kwanli's and his people. But he had still laughed upon discovering whom his partners were. Someone in the Jedi command certainly had a sense of humor, or was entirely ignorant and missed out on the hilarity of the situation.

Alert now, Karshk trusted the old Wookiee's instincts. Retrieving a pair of macrobinoculars from a nearby bag, Karshk set upon the task of finding whatever had Kwanli on edge. It didnt take him long to spot a ship, poorly piloted as it was, coming in to land. Curiousity filled the Trandoshan Jedi. Who would want to come to a planet such as Geonosis? Perhaps hunters looking for some large game, or pirates, or smugglers. Checking to make sure both of his lightsabers were on his belt, in case the mystery visitors turned out to be hostile, Karshk handed the binocs to Kwanli.

"Theresss a ship landing nearby. Maybe we should go check i out?"

 

[Phoenix]

He was a bit of a late addition to the acklay hunting team. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure why hunting a hoard of acklay was so important to the Sith empire, but that was the job, so here he was. He brought his ship in - much more gracefully than they seemed to have brought theirs in - and set it down semi-near the partner ship. Gentlemen, you may have heard I was a late assignment to the team, I'll be joining you on this hunt was well, he hailed them over the coms.

In the distance, he could see a storm coming in, but at the moment, it wasn't a major concern. His bigger concern was the creatures that were going to be coming up against him sooner or later. As such, he went to the armory and got ready what he might need. In addition to his normal set of gear, he packed away a couple of more powerful detonators in case they needed to set traps or mines. You never know.

He turned quickly to Chaz, Why don't you and Terra get the ship up and out of this storm for now. You can play overwatch and scout the beast's movements for us. The storm was still a good distance away and may not even be too big of a concern if they were quick on their hunt.

Time to go to work. And with that, he made his way to the other Sith ship.

 

[Darth Magnarus]

Sarok had gotten the vibe that he was hated by the sith team, but he was not here to make friends he was only here to impress and to grow his power. Sarok as he was leaving the ship heard a whistle, just as Ebiara had just pointed it out. Sarok moved closer to her and said "What was that?" Not waiting for a response Sarok simply started walking towards the sound, not even a bit of sense was coursing through him, but even he knew when to attack and not attack, so he was only scanning the area. Sarok shouted back to the team and said "I'm going to scout the area". Sarok knew the probably would have suggested him to do it anyway seeing as he was quite cocky. He knew he was cocky but it was a rightful part of his personality he was allowed to show. He had so much pent up anger still from the incident. His fellow sith did not no of this incident but it made him VERY POWERFUL. As he collected his thoughts for a minute he thought he saw someone in the distance.

 

[Maxx]

Hades looked towards the mesa that Ebiara had pointed out. He couldn't see anything because of the mass of boulders in the way, but just because you couldn't see danger didn't mean that it wasn't there. Sarok shouted out that he was going to scout the area. Hades grunted but didn't say anything. The Zabrak Sith was reckless, and headstrong. Assuming that he survived the day's hunt, he would have a tough time making it through the Sith ranks. The over sized commlink strapped around his wrist crackled before relaying the words of a man who claimed to be a late addition to the hunt. Why the Brotherhood had suddenly decided another member was needed in the hunting party, he wouldn't know, but he wouldn't question it either.

The new man's ship landed close to the transport that had brought the three Sith to this dirtball. The ramp descended and a lone man walked down it and towards Hades and Ebiara. He was human and his face was smooth and clean shaven, but by the way he carried himself, Hades could tell that this was a man who didn't mind blood covering his skin. That was the type of being Hades liked. "Our pilot made no mention of another Sith ship in the system, that will be another mark on his life."

 

[Crim]

Another starship streaked through the sky. If the Acklays were intelligent, they'd be worried by now. This was probably as many ships as the region saw... ever. It was uninhabited, and the chances of those two ships just wandering close to each other was abysmally low. This was not happenstance or 'coincidence.' Ebiara would be worried, had the ship not hailed them. Turned out another Sith was sent to their party. She didn't know why the higher-ups found it necessary to send him. It was possible that they knew something she didn't. That concerned her more than anything. The ship landed half a kilometer of the transport and another Sith stepped out.

"I don't think the pilot had any way of knowing about this. Surely, we would be the first to know," Ebiara said, keeping an eye on the man who came out. She then turned to Sarok. "Be careful, Sarok. I have a bad feeling about this. Don't wander too far. We'll be right behind you if something happens," she said. She didn't like this. Not one bit. Whistling on the mesa and now a new companion. This hunting trip just got a lot more interesting.

 

[Jabonicus]

The mesa of crags and boulders, hanging above the group of Sith, kept the group of Acklay's hidden, as well as the cave that the Jedi had been holding up in. This meant two main things; the Sith couldn't see the Jedi, and the Jedi couldn't see the Sith.

Vera blended her presence with the Acklay. She wasn't capable of hiding the presence of the entire herd, but if they used the force to scan forward, they would only find the presence of the Acklay's. While, when she had first gotten there, she had to actively use the force to pacify the beasts, she had gotten to a level a trust where her constant pacification was not needed for the safety of herself or her companions. Besides, pacified Acklay's was the last thing that they needed in this situation.

Looking back at the cave that the Jedi had been taking refuge in, she frowned. She hoped that her companions had the same dreadful feeling that she did. The Acklay she had mounted let out a shrill, echoing call, followed by grunts and growls from it's lower ranking pack members.

Lightsabers or not, the Sith would need to be careful fighting such beasts, especially in larger numbers. Moving the mount towards a jutting crag, she hid behind it anxiously, taking deep, quiet breaths. They were too high up to be in line of sight of the Sith. She would remain there until either her companions arrived to assist her, or one or more of the Sith came over the jutting crags extending from the Mesa.

The second ship worried her. While she couldn't see it, hidden behind a tall, slanted crag, she could hear it. Something told her these weren't average hunters or scavengers, and it gave her a worried feeling. Regardless, she had been studying these fine creatures for days now. She could not stand to watch them be massacred for some sick sport.

@Bauren

 

[Oreus]

A remote piece of Geonosis was hardly a high traffic destination. Two ships landing near the Acklay herd territory was suspicious. It was still possible they were poachers of some kind. Acklay made good arena entertainment and death pit pets. Fierce creatures would attract fierce enemies. Kwanli ventured to a better view point and pulled his bowcaster from behind his back.

Through the scope he could make out a few figures at a distance but little more than that. Vera was still with the herd somewhat nearby. She needed to be warned. The Wookiee turned back to his Trandoshan ally and simply shook his head. It wasn't time to go down to whoever was there. No use attracting attention or splitting up from the herd. Mutual protection was best in this case for sure. They needed to find the Togruta Knight and make a defense plan in case of poachers (or worse).

"We should find our companion," he roared back after a few moments watching the incoming beings. "If this turns out to be trouble we may also wish to get closer to our ship."

Kwanli looked up the rough path through the rocks towards where he know Vera to be located. The climb would kick up dust and possibly draw attention to a keen eyed hunter, but the Wookiee would be ready for any trouble by the time they could reach him. He motioned for the lizard to follow him and started climbing. It would take some time for anyone to climb the rocks to them. Plenty of time to meet and make a quick plan of action.

 

[Arcangel]

Bringing the macrobinocs back up to his eyes, Karshk spied another ship on approach. The day was just getting more and more interesting. As Kwanli motioned for him to follow, the two began their ascent. While it might take a normal human some time to climb the rough pathway up to the top of the mese, the two Trandoshan and Wookiee made short work of the climb. Scrabbling up the rocks, most likely kicking up a fair amount of dust that could possibly be seen in the distance to those with sharp eyes.

Reaching the summit of the mesa, Karshk quickly spotted Vera, riding atop one of the bull acklays. Sensing that Vera was no longer using her influence to herd of aklays, Karshk approached cautiously, not wanting to spook the wild beasts. Coming close enough to speak to his ally, Karshk’s voice escaped his mouth as a low hiss.

“There are people approaching, i sssuggessst we ssstart heading to the ship.”

 

[Phoenix]

Corvo moved toward the other Sith ship as his shuttle took off behind him. It was always nice to have eyes in the sky. He took in a deep breath, centering himself in the moment and taking in his surroundings. The sand had been disturbed slightly, as if the acklay had been here recently. He could sense the presence of the other Sith and could obviously see them as well, but it wasn’t them that interested him most.

No, there was something else, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It wasn’t malice per se, but it was something that was decidedly hostile nearby. And it wasn’t the general hostility that he normally felt around other Sith. Malice was in the air. Add to that that he could sense the presence of three – no, four – lifeforms. Acklays, if he wasn’t mistaken. Great, a full acklay pack. How could Acklays have hostility? No, that didn’t match up, unless the acklays were sentient. I don’t know, something’s wrong here. Hopefully the other Sith sensed it too.

His left thumb ran up and down the handle of his bow instinctively. No, this wasn’t going to be a normal hunt.

You sense that? he asked as he approached the others. No real introductions, not when there was an imminent threat on the horizon. Something’s wrong, I don’t think we’re alone.

I’m Corvo, I’d expand, but something’s not right here, and staying still and waiting is a prime way to get dead. He flipped the mask on his helmet down, covering his face and signaling in no uncertain terms that he was ready for a fight. Sword, knives, tri-shot, bow, detonator arrows, grenades, sabers, he ran through his weapons in his head.

The other Sith seemed competent, hopefully they’d have his back throughout this thing. To his left stood a rocky hill and over the hill was where he sensed they’d find the creatures. He moved past the bottom of the hill, careful not to move in an area where he could be blindsided by an acklay or the like dropping on top of him. The area he moved through kept them out of the line of long-range rifle fire, which was to his advantage. The bottom of the hill was steep on this side, but as he came around a small bend, it carried less slant and fewer rocks, allowing easier ascent and less chance of being blind sided. He looked back, hoping the other Sith were still behind him.

He knew they were getting closer, he could feel the beasts nearby, but perhaps they’d get the drop on them from the slanted alternative side. He reached over and nocked a detonator arrow, hopefully big enough to cause some damage to an acklay if put in the right spot.

As he came within eyeshot of the peak he saw it. Ah, fearstick, this’ll be… nope it’s not going to be fun. Four acklays. Full pack. Just my luck.

He was ready to draw back his bow when he noticed something unusual. There was a person. On top of one of the acklay. Hmmm…. ok. He held his bow in hand, ready to strike at a moment’s notice or cycle to his lightsaber if need be. It had to be a Force sensitive, since no one else could ride animals like that. Jedi? Witch? Clearly an off-worlder. We’ve got company. Force sensitive. Watch for others, he said to the other Sith, hoping that they were watching all the other angles looking for ambushes or alternative fighters.


@Darth Magnarus

 

[Darth Magnarus]

Sarok had been scouting for the past hour and didn't see any immediate threat where he was so he set off back to the ships where and where everyone was. To Sarok this did t seem like a hunt anymore, it seemed like something else, alas Sarok was always this jumpy and thought nothing of it it, he told himself "It's just a hunt, nothing else".

That's when the person who had landed the second ship called out saying "We've got company. Force sensitive. Watch for others". Sarok jumped, this was one of his first encounters with a Jedi and it would hopefully not be the last time. He walked over to Corvo as he had introduced himself as. Sarok whispered "Okay we need to be on high alert, everyone watch each other's backs we already have the acklay to deal with we don't need any Jedi sneaking up on us". Sarok shimmied over to a rock and lay behind it, hand on lightsaber ready for it to be unsheathed at any moment.

@Maxx

 

[Maxx]

The newcomer, Corvo as he called himself, asked Hades and Ebiara if they sensed what he did. "You're probably talking about the whistling on the mesa." With one arm he pointed over his shoulder back where Ebiara had heard the whistling. The man pulled a mask down over his face and walked past Hades and Ebiara, headed for the mesa. He just shrugged his shoulders and followed the man, looking him over from the back. All kinds of weapons decorated the man's body. The traditional lightsabers, knives, grenades, even a bow. Hades had no doubt that these were only a small assortment of the armory that Corvo had, probably back on that ship of his.

He kept his head up and looked around, but the boulders blocked his line of sight. As they rounded a bend, Corvo pulled an arrow out of his quiver and nocked it, pulling back the bowstring. In a moment, the peak came into sight and Hades saw the pack of acklay. I knew it wouldn't be as simple to find only one. He saw only the herd, not seeing the person riding one of them until Corvo had pointed it out. He silently cursed and reached down to grab the two lightsabers around his waist. His eyes darted around the hill leading to the peak, looking for anything else out of place. There was no one to be seen, but a small dust cloud did catch his eye.

"Don't know if it's more acklay, or someone with the rider, but there appears to be something moving up towards the peak."
@Crim